Emilia's POV
No.
No, no, no.
My heart was a drum inside my chest, beating so violently I swore the whole room must have heard it. His words—his damn claim—coiled around me like chains.
‘You’re not leaving my sight for the rest of the day.’
I screamed in my head, over and over, the words clawing at me. No. I have to escape. I can’t let him ruin this. Not tonight. Not when I’ve waited this long. Not when freedom is right there, almost within my reach.
I forced my breathing steady, biting down so hard on the inside of my cheek I tasted blood. I couldn’t let him see. If he suspected even an ounce of my thoughts, if he so much as sniffed out a whisper of my plan, I’d be done for.
So I smiled.
Calm. Composed. A good little puppet on his lap.
But inside, my mind raced. Every second that
